A coaxial cable is prepared for connection to another cable, or to another RF device, by a coaxial cable connector. Preparation typically requires the use of several specialized tools including a stripping tool and a compression tool. The stripping tool removes a portion of the compliant outer jacket to expose a signal-carrying inner conductor and an outer grounding, or braided, conductor of the cable. The compression tool, on the other hand, inserts a grounding/retention post into the prepared end of the cable to effect an electrical and mechanical connection between the cable and an outer body or housing of the cable connector.
The step of stripping the outer jacket to expose the braided conductor includes a step of folding back the braided conductor upon the end portion of the outer jacket. This step facilitates insertion of the grounding/retention post between the braided conductor and a foil-covered dielectric core of the coaxial cable. While facilitating insertion of the grounding/retention post, this step can be particularly complex and laborious inasmuch as the braided wires of the outer conductor must be individually/collectively lifted from the underlying foil layer and fanned-back over the outer jacket. When lifting the braided wires, the ends thereof can be a source of injury to the installer/preparer. Furthermore, the underlying foil layer can be lifted from the underlying dielectric core and become a source of snagging when the grounding/retention post receives the foil-covered dielectric core.
The step of compressing/inserting the grounding/retention post into the prepared end of the coaxial cable also requires a holding fixture to align the prepared end of the cable while a driver compresses a barbed annular sleeve of the grounding/retention post into/beneath the braided conductor of the cable. As such, the outer jacket may be compressed between the barbed annular sleeve and a fixed-diameter outer housing of the cable connector. Compression of the outer jacket causes the barbed annular sleeve to engage the braided conductor of the cable, thereby retaining the grounding/retention post of the connector to the coaxial cable.
In addition to the cost associated with each preparation step, the stripping and compression tools add undue fiscal burdens, particularly in cost-sensitive markets. That is, the additional cost associated with a particular preparation tool can be the difference between whether a customer selects one connector rather than another. Hence, the requirement for a particular preparation tool, and the fiscal consequences thereof, can be a market discriminator for a manufacturer/producer of coaxial cable connectors.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome, or otherwise lessen the effects of, the disadvantages and shortcomings described above.